Best before date

katekelly

Best before dates and use by dates -what's that all about?? My Hubby is obsessed by them and refuses to use an egg if it's a day past the date. I tell him that being brought up inthe country and having once done one shift collecting eggs in a battery farm (which of course makes me an eggspert!! Get it?!!) I know that hens have not got a date stamp on their bums. So who decides when an egg is past it's best. All joking apart an egg shell is an amazing food container which is totally biodegradable and can be used again (cress heads kids love making them)! Then you can get into the whole to fridge or not to fridge debate. Again they are stored in the shops in the aisles so why do some of us put em in the fridge. If you're talking about fridges and eggs where do you stand on fridges and ketchup or fridges and jam? Oh the list is endless.
But more scary does this mean I have a best before date on my posterior? I've tried having a look in the mirror but my necks too stiff to see! I asked my Hubby but all he'd mutter about was 666 on my scalp!!
anyone else out there wondering about these blasted dates?
Love
Kate x

valval

to be honest most of time take them with pinch of salt some things like cooked meats do look but other things well commonsence should see me through.
in summer keep jam in fridge but not ketchup apple sauce once open but not mint sauce i know does not make sence but then never have so why start now
i put my cuttlery knifes forks and spoons how are yours???

LignumVitae

I'm with you, I use my nose, eyes and lastly taste to work out the best before date of things. After all, that's what those senses are partly there for! Real butter, not the easy spread stuff, never goes in he fridge either after I read that fats are ok out of the fridge as bacteria doesn't like growing on them and neither do eggs. Home made jams don't go in the fridge but supermarket ones do because they don't have a high enough sugar content to preserve the fruit. LV xx

Numptydumpty

Eggcellent subject, eggstremely interesting.
Use by dates? it depends how desperately I need the item, what it is, and how out of date it is.
I keep opened ketchup and jam in the fridge, eggs in the pantry.
I hope that eggsplains things.
Numpty

katekelly

How lucky you are Numpty a pantry!? I've always wanted a pantry-in fact when I couldn't sleep at 3am this morning I was thinking of how I could get a pantry in my kitchen!! I've got one of those pantry cupboards in my cabinets but not a proper walk in shelves all around old fashioned like my Nan had pantry. The stuff that dreams are made of!!
Kate x

Numptydumpty

It is good.
Only problem is, sometimes when I can't sleep, I find myself at 3am in the pantry, wondering what to eat next

joanlawson

The supermarkets have encouraged our obsession with dates on their products, and so much food is wasted because of it. Good old common sense is the best guide. How did we manage before there were dates on things :?: I don't remember any terrible outbreaks of food poisoning.

Anyway, I have no intention of ever reaching my '' best before'' date. I have another stamp on my posterior. It says '' best quality goods for life''.

PollySid

One of my hubby's favourite sayings ' it doesn't suddenly decide at mindnight that it is going to go off' (when I point out that the piece of meat ran out of date the day before).
I usually go by sense of smell nowadays and it hasn't let me down yet. :P
As long as you are careful with meat or dairy products, a few days or weeks on most things are fine.
It's the vegetables that amuse me. I spotted my daughter throwing out a perfectly usable half bag of potatoes the other day 'because they had gone out of date' !
Fruit or Veg are not 'out of date' until they are mouldy or wizened (sp) in my view. I totally ignore any dates on those.
(just checked my spelling on wizened - I was correct, it is just one of those words that you don't see very often and it just didn't look right to me)

tkachev

I'm paranoid about the dates and won't eat anything after its best before date and a bit iffy about the sell by date too.

OH on the other hand will eat anything.

I don't chuck a lot out as I don't like waste but try to make sure everything is eaten in time.

With an autistic Son numbers are a big part of our life as my Son is obsessed. HE can't walk down the road on his own but he knows all the significant dates in history and amazes me with his knowledge. He's great at adding and subtracting too.

Elizabeth

barbara12

Like Joan has said...we didnt used to have best before dates, so it was down to your eyes and nose, must say those were the days when we mostly shopped from day to day.
After watching a program on wasted food, I cut down on my weekly shop, I make a point of having a list and sticking to it....I save a fortune and we still eat well.
Has for my sell by date...I will ignore that as well..

frogmorton

I totally agree

Use by is when 'they' think bacteria will have got to a dangerous level - usually dairy and meats - I do not go over those dates as the DMARds etc some of us take mean we might be poorly. Except eggs....I see if they float in water as i know it can be WEEKS before they get to our supermarket shelves.

Best before is when it is supposed to taste and look at it's best :?

My veggies, that i grow don't have a best before date - I eat them until they look manky (wizened Pollysid )


Elizabeth - your son - sounds amazing - wouldn't he make a good accountant :shock:

Love

Toni xx

tkachev

Toni as long as he worked from home!


Forgot to add I have a large pantry but mostly keep tins and alcohol (for the OH) in there! I keep Tom sauce, homemade jams and eggs on the worktops.

Elizabeth

bubbadog

I'm paranoid about best before dates! I will not touch anything past it's best before date! My OH goes mad, but I've got nasty food poisioning after eatting something past it's best before date and never want it to happen again!

fowls48

To Be Honest


I worked for a cash n carry for 20 years , only go by sell by dates when you have opened a product , we have purchased and drank beer that was passed its sell by date its a guide , i do not put jam and ketchup in the fridge .its only prepacked food i take note of .

karen xx

villier

I worked as a catering manager for years doing weddings by the score, I woudn't like to tell you some of the things chefs get up to and never gave anyone food poisning, just look, smell and cook well, I use food all the time after the sell by date...........Marie xx